Income based apartments in Washington, DC: how to find and apply

Income based apartments in Washington, DC come mainly from two places. One is the city's Inclusionary Zoning program, a rule that makes most new buildings rent some homes at lower rents, by lottery, a random drawing, to households under an income limit, the most a household can earn. The other is the DC Housing Authority, the local housing office, and its waitlists, lines you join now for an apartment that comes free later.

Nearby Arlington, Virginia lists more apartments.

What does "income-based" mean in DC and Arlington?

An income-based apartment is one where your income decides whether you can rent it, and sometimes how much you pay. It works in two ways:

• Your rent follows your income. In public housing, apartments the housing office owns, the DC Housing Authority says tenants pay 30% of their income as rent. With a Section 8 voucher, which pays part of your rent at a private apartment you choose, you also pay about 30% of your income.
• The rent is a set amount. In an Inclusionary Zoning home or an Arlington committed affordable apartment, each apartment has a set lower rent, and only households under its income limit can rent it. The rent doesn't change with your pay, so you need enough income to cover it.

"Committed affordable" is Arlington County's name for apartments in private buildings that the county helped pay for, in return for lower rents. Our guide to income-restricted apartments explains this kind of apartment in more detail.

How do you rent an Inclusionary Zoning apartment in DC?

To rent an Inclusionary Zoning apartment, you check the rules, take a class, register, and then enter lotteries for homes that fit you. The city's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) runs the Inclusionary Zoning program:

1. Check that you meet the rules. You need at least as many people as bedrooms. Your rent and utilities can't be more than half of your income before taxes. You can't be enrolled full time in a college or university program, and no one in your household can own other homes. You must live in the apartment, and you prove your income again every year.
2. Take the orientation. Find a class and finish the two-hour Inclusionary Zoning orientation to get your certificate. You must take a new class every two years, before your certificate runs out.
3. Register. After the class, wait for an email with steps to log in to your account. If none comes within 30 days, use "Forgot Password?" on the Inclusionary Zoning login page. If that doesn't work, contact the organization that taught your class, or call the Inclusionary Zoning office at (202) 442-7221.
4. Watch your email. Each time a home fits your income and household size, you get an email about its lottery. There is no regular schedule, so check your email once or twice a week, including your spam folder.
5. Enter the lottery for each home that fits you, following the steps in the email.

Anyone who meets the rules may apply, but the city says your chances are very low if no one in your household lives or works in DC.

What are the 2026 Inclusionary Zoning income limits?

The city's 2026 schedule took effect January 30, 2026. It sets the limits as shares of the area median income, the middle income in the Washington area: half of households earn more and half earn less. Each home is set at 50%, 60% or 80%, so use the column for the home you apply to.

Each home also has a minimum income, the least a household must earn to show it can pay the rent. For a one-bedroom at 60%, the minimum is $38,650 a year. The minimum doesn't apply if you have a voucher or other rent help.

A worked example. Two adults earn $70,000 a year. That is above the $65,550 limit at 50% but under the $78,650 limit at 60%. So they can enter lotteries for homes set at 60% or 80%. For a one-bedroom at 60%, they also earn more than the $38,650 minimum. To check your own household against open listings, use our qualify check, or read what area median income means.

How do the DC Housing Authority waitlists work?

The DC Housing Authority keeps waitlists for public housing and for the Housing Choice Voucher program, also called Section 8. It also keeps one for the Moderate Rehabilitation program, which lowers the rent at certain apartments. If you move out of one, you lose the lower rent. Check its waitlist page for today's status, because the lists open and close. Its voucher questions page explains how the voucher list works.

If you are already on a list, use the update form on the waitlist page to keep your address, phone number and household details current. When your name reaches the top, the housing office contacts you to set up a final interview, so it must be able to reach you. Our guide to finding an open Section 8 waitlist explains what to watch for.

Where do you find Arlington affordable apartments?

Arlington County, Virginia posts a list of its open committed affordable apartments each month, with contact details for each building's management office. You apply at the building, not through the county. The county's list shows each apartment's rent, the income range and household size it allows, and the building's application and holding fees, which some buildings waive.

The list also says buildings may keep their own waitlists. Landlords on it accept Housing Choice Vouchers and Arlington's Housing Grants, county money that pays part of the monthly rent. The minimum incomes on the list don't apply if you have rent help like these. See listings near Arlington on our Virginia page.

How do you apply and avoid scams?

Start with the list that fits you. For DC, take the Inclusionary Zoning orientation and watch your email. For Arlington, call a building's management office and ask three things: is an apartment open, do you keep a waitlist, and what is your income limit for my household size? The city also points renters to DC Housing Search for other lower-rent apartments. Our guide to how to apply for affordable housing lists the papers to gather.

A housing office can't charge you to apply for a Section 8 voucher or public housing. The inspector general of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the federal housing department, warns that fake waitlist announcements spread on social media. The Federal Trade Commission warns that fake rental ads ask for wire transfers or gift cards. Our guide to housing lottery fees and scams lists more warning signs.

What should you do next?

Book an Inclusionary Zoning orientation first, because you need its certificate before you can enter any lottery. Then call two or three Arlington buildings from the county's list. Check which open listings fit your household with our qualify check, and see open waitlists and our listings page.